Turbomechanical transmission gear



H. FOTTINGER TURBOMECHANICAL TRANSMISSION GEAR Filed April 29, 1936 Fig.3.

Inventor Hermann F6 Hunger,

iiis Attorneg ical step-down transmission gear is after-com pied to the drive shaft l through gears t and t to 35 pling.

Patented Aug. 9, 1938 2,126,547 TURBOMECHANICAL TRANSMISSION GEAR Hermann Fiittinger, Berlin-Charlottenburg, Germany hpplicatlondpril 29, 1936, Serial No. 76,962

r In Germany May 2, 1935 9 Claims. (@IL 74-1895) My invention relates to turbo-mechanical pumps, can be very conveniently arranged since transmission gears, and more particularly to the the auxiliary shafts and the turbo-gear may type of transmission used to bring up to speed, assume any desired position around the main gradually, a driven shaft so that it may be then shafts. Besides these advantages there is finally direct coupled to a drive shaft. the main advantage which is given by the pre- 5 It has been proposed to combine mechanical connection of a step-up transmission gear as first gears with turbo-gears in various ways, partly in proposed by the applicant in reducing the size of order to interpose astep-up transmission between the turbo-gear, accelerated filling and emptying the driving shaft and the pump shaft of the and the like. 19 turbo-gear, and partly in order to obtain from the In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a crossturbine shaft of the turbo-gear to the driven sectional view, partly diagrammatic, of a gear shaft a sumciently great and, in some cases, transmission built in accordance with my invenreversible step-down transmission. tion; Fig. 2 illustrates a modification of the In turbo-gears of this kind there arises the mechanical gear of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end view of la difficulty that the driving and the driven shafts a reversing mechanism incorporated in the meare an inconvenient distance apart or are inconchanical gear of Fig. 2; and Fig. l is a diagram veniently placed with respect to one another, as a matic illustration of a reversing system and apparesult of which the gear casing has a fissured and ratus applied to the arrangement shown in Fig. 1. often a very wealr shape, and this leads in turn to In each of the figures ofthe drawing, i denotes A) bad running and relatively rapid wear of the gear. the main driving shaft, t the main driven shaft, 2 Furthermore, in previous constructions there it and t the pre-connec'ted toothed-wheel step-up arises the disadvantage that with direct drive, transmission, 9 the pump shaft, it the turbine that is on bridging-over of the turbo-gear, a conshaft, '1 and 9 the after-connected toothed-wheel siderable number of gear-wheels are under load, step-down transmission, 9 the turbine portion of as a result of which unnecessary bearing loads the gear, and ill the direct coupling. t9 and a series of different lrinds of losses arise. The turbine portion 9 of the transmission com The invention aims to improve such turboprises a hydraulic coupling of the type described mechanical gears, in which a mechanical step-up in my U. S. Patents 1,199,359, and 1,199,360,1ssued transmission gear is pre-connected and amechan- September 29, 1916. The shaft ii, which is coutil nected. This is attained according to the invendrives a pump wheel t mounted in the casing of tion by arranging the main driving shaft and the the device, thereby setting into motion the liquid main driven shaft coaxially and connecting them which is in the casing, and causing this liquid to with one another by means of a releasable couimpinge upon the vanes of a turbine wheel 6' attached to the hollow shaft t after its direction 95 The coaxial arrangement of the two mechanical of flow is changed by deflectors 9' mounted in the transmission gears afiords the advantage that a turbine casing and, in the present case, are held particularly easy incorporation of a direct coustationary. The shaft 6 being coupled o t pling is possible. Furthermore, in this way, accudriven shaft 2 through gea s and t, the motion racy of production, as well as the assembly of the of the shaft l is transmitted to this driven shaft 2 all gear is facilitated. on direct drive all the gearwith a loss in speed proportional to the load conwheels and their bearings are completely relieved nected to the driven shaft. This loss, commonly from loads so that they run idly without noise. referred to as slip, is at its maximum when the At the same time the turbo-gear is automatically driving shaft begins to rotate and the driven shaft put out of action and thus its losses are cut-out. is still at rest, and gradually reduces to a mini- 4 As a result of the inclusion or the mechanical mum as the driven shaitis brought up to speed. portion of the gear, the construction of the casing Inthe arrangement according to Fig. 1, which for the gear-wheels as well as for the turbine poris a part-sectional elevation, the direct coupling -tion may be considerably simplified. Furtherlll is a toothed coupling. The two halves H and 59 more, there results a substantial shortening of the ll of the coupling are arranged directly against whole gear. In addition, the accessibility, rethe associated gear-wheels 3 and 8. By displac- 4 examination, dismantling and repair are co-nsiding the half I2 of the coupling in any convenient erably facilitated. Moreover, it may further be manner, the teeth onthe two halves are brought mentioned that, as a result of the invention, the into or out of engagement. The main driving 5 drive for the auxiliaries, e. g. the return or control shaft I and the main driven shaft 2 can thus be 2 directly connected with one another, the turbine portion being bridged over.

Should diiiiculties arise in some cases in accommodating the gear-wheels of the pre and afterconnected transmission gears, it is preferred to provide intermediate wheels in the two gears so that the size of the gear-wheels can be reduced. Fig. 2 shows in elevation an example of such an arrangement, the two intermediate wheels being here denoted by 4' and I. In this arrangement, furthermore, the pre and after-connected toothed-wheel gears have unequal transmission ratios: It is in this way possible to compensate for the slip of the turbine portion 9 and thus to cause the shafts I and 2 to run at the same number of revolutions, which facilitates engagement of the direct coupling I0.

When intermediate wheels are employed in this way, the intermediate wheel 1 of the after-connected transmission gear may, according to the invention, be used at the same time for reversing. For this purpose the intermediate wheel 1' is arranged in a frame I1 which can swing about the shafts 6 as shown in Fig. 3. As a result of swinging of this frame, the intermediate wheel 'I' can be swung out into the dotted position. At the same time a reversing gear-wheel I8, the shaft I9 of which is likewise fixed in the swinging frame I1, is brought into engagement with the main wheel 8 so that the latter now rotates in the reverse direction.

Another method of reversing is illustrated in Fig. 4. At the'end of the pump shaft 5 there is provided a small gear-wheel which engages with a large gear-wheel 2| of a reversing shaft 22. The gear-wheel 2| is connected with the reversing shaft 22 by a releasable coupling 24 which may, for example, be a multi-plate clutch. The right hand end of-the shaft 22 carries a small gear-wheel 23 which engages directly with the main wheel 8 of the driven shaft 2. After engagement of the coupling 24, therefore, the

main wheel 8 and the shaft 2 are driven in the reverse direction.

Fig. 4 further discloses a new method of re-' versal which can be employed with advantage in all cases in which only a slow reverse speed is necessary, as e. g. in the case of motor cars, tanks, or the like. The reversal of a gear having a turbine portion was hitherto effected by emptying the turbo-gear intended for forward drive. According to this invention, as disclosed in Fig. 4, the turbo-gear, in contradistinction to the earlier method, is kept filled and, as previously, drives the main driven shaft through the after-connected toothed-wheel transmission gear. The forward torque generated by the turbo-gear is not only overcome by the insertion of a special toothed wheel transmission gear, but is transformed into a reverse torque of any desired mag-- nitude. In this way, special emptying and filling devices for the turbo may be dispensed with in the case of reverse drive just as in; the case of the direct coupling.

creasing converter, i. e. a turbo-gear with a stationary guide device, it is preferred to put the guide device out of action at the same time as reversal is effected so as to deprive the converter of its torque-increasing action. The reverse drive to be engaged is then able to overcome all the easier the opposing moment of the filled turbo gear. The various couplings of the direct and reverse drive as well as the device for cuttingout the guide device of the turbo-gear are advantageously operated by means of a controlwhich is connected or blocked in a suitable manner.

Fig. 4 shows an example of such a blocked control. Control by pressure medium is illustrated, the pressure medium, such as oil for example, being taken from any suitable source.

The pressure medium is supplied through a pipe 25 to a change-over cock 2' which may be situated, for example at the driver's-position of a motor vehicle. The casing of this change-over cock is connected by means of a pipe 21 with the reverse drive coupling 24 by means of a pipe 22 with the direct coupling I0, and by means of a pipe 29 with a small piston 30. The piston 29, which is held in the upper position by a spring 3!, co-operates, on changing-over of the cock 26 to the pipe 29, with a brake 32 by means of which the guide device 9' of the turbo-converter 9, which in this modification is rotatably mounted, can be held stationary. The change-over cock 2 may be brought into any one of three positions corresponding to the number of the pipes provided; these positions are indicatedin the drawing by W (converter), D (direct drive), and R (reverse drive).

On starting, the change-over cook 26 is brought into position W, in which the supply pipe 25 of the pressure medium is brought into connection by way of the-pipe 29 with the piston 29. The piston 30 is brought into engagement with the brake 32 against the action of its releasing spring 3i by the pressure medium so that the guide de vice 9',of the converter 9 is held stationary. The transmission of power from the shaft I to the shaft 2 then takes place by way of the torqueincreasing torque converter 9. When the vehicle has reached itsnormal speed, the change-over cook 26 is moved around into the position D. The coupling I0 is now engaged and the guide device of the'converter 9 simultaneously cut-out so that power is not transmitted directly from the shaft I to the shaft 2. If it is desired to travel backwards, the change-over cock 26 is moved around into the position R. In this position, the piston 30 for the actuation of the guide device as well as the direct coupling III are cut-out while the coupling 24 is cut-in. The transmission of power now takes place from the shaft I by way of gears 3, 4 to the shaft 5, from there by way of the reverse gear 20, 2I, coupling 24, reverse shaft 22, and gear-wheel 23 to the main gear-wheel l of the driven shaft 2, which as a result of the insertion of the intermediate gear, now. rotates in the reverse direction.

The invention may, with advantage, also be applied to the construction of really large couplings of a turbo-mechanical nature if it is a question of cutting-in and out without-rshock, while running, machines of very large output and revolutions.

For this purpose, for example, in the case oi the construction according to Fig. 1, the turbogear 9 may be made as a turbo-coupling of high revolutions. Although I have shown only one turbo-coupling 9, it will be evident that several turbo-couplings with their pinions 4 and I may be arranged concentrically around the main gearwheels 3 and 8. As a result of the uniform distribution of the peripheral forces which is produced with such an arrangement, the width of the toothed wheels, and therefore, their cost maybe reduced considerably. A further reduction in cost is obtained by both described and the suggested combinations by the toothed wheels being loaded only during traveling with the turbocoupling itself, while the main gear with direct couplings are on the contrary cut-out. Consequently, the gear-wheels need not be very accurately made and may therefore be produced substantially cheaper.

The large torsion oscillations of the main shafts which occur during cutting-in and out are completely damped exactly as in the case of direct cutting-in of the turbo-coupling between the shafts l and 2 for the subsequent parts of the transmission.

I declare that what I claim is:

1. In a high speed turbo-mechanical transmission gear, the combination of a driving shaft and a driven shaft arranged coaxially, a turbo-gear connected to said shafts through a step-up and step-down mechanical gear train respectively,

- and a direct coupling between the said shafts arranged to connect directly said shafts to each other.

2. In a turbo-mechanical transmission gear, the combination of a driving shaft and a driven shaft arranged coaxially, a turbo-gear connected to said shafts through a step-up and a step-down mechanical gear train respectively, and a mechanical coupling between said shafts arranged to connect directly said shafts to each other.

3. In a turbo-mechanical transmission gear, the combination'of a driving and a driven shaft arranged coaxially, a turbo-gear connected to said shafts through a step-up and a step-down mechanical gear train, the transmission ratio of the gear train connected to the driven shaft being greater than that connected to the driving shaft, and a mechanical coupling arranged to directly connect said shafts.

d. in a turbo-mechanical transmission gear, the comblnationpf a driving and a driven shaft arranged coaxially, a turbo-gear connected to said shafts through a step-up and a step-down mechanical gear train respectively, and a mechanical coupling arranged to directly connect said shafts, said coupling comprising cooperating elements mounted upon the gears mounted upon the said shafts respectively.

5. In a turbo-mechanical transmission, the

combination of a driving and a driven shaft, and

a direct coupling between said shafts manually operable to effect a direct coupling between said shafts when said shafts are at substantially the same speed, a transmission for bringing said driven shaft up to speed comprising a turbo-gear and a step-,up and step-down mechanical gear train connected between said turbo-gear and said shafts respectively, and a reversing means arranged between said turbo-gear and said driven shaft comprising a pair of interengaging intermediate gears engaging one of said step-11D gears, and means for moving one or both of said intermediate gears lnto said gear train to drive said driven shaft.

6. In a turbo-mechanical transmission, the

combination of a driving and a driven shaft and a. direct coupling between said shafts manually operable to effect a direct coupling between said shafts when said shafts are at substantially the same speed, a transmission for bringing said driven shaft up to speed comprising a turbo gear and a step-up and step-down mechanical gear train connected between said turbo-gear and said shafts respectively, and a reversing means arranged between said turbo-gear and said driven shaft comprising a pair of interengaging intermediate gears engaging one of said step-down gears and mountedupon a frame pivoted on the shaft of said step-down gear, said frame being movable to connect one or both of said intermediate gears' into said step-down gear train.

7. In a turbo-mechanical transmission, the

combination of a driving and a driven shaft, a-

direct coupling between said shafts, a variable speed coupling between said shafts comprising a two element turbo drive connected to said shafts through step-up and step-down gears respectively, a reversing gear connected between said driven shaft and said turbo-gear, including a coupling device for connecting said driven shaft to the driving element of said turbo-gearv and fluid pressure operated means for alternately making edective said direct coupling or said reversing coupling.

8. In a turbo-mechanical transmission, the combination of a driving and a driven shaft arranged coaxialiy, a turbo-gear comprising a pump element and a turbine element respectively coupled to said shafts by driving and driven gears for bringing said driven shaft up to speed, a inechanical coupling between said shafts manually operable to mechanicaliy couple said shafts when they are at substantially the same speed, and reversing means comprising an intermediate gear engaging one of the said driven gears, and means for mechanically coupling said intermediate gear to said driving gear for reversing said driven shaft whereby the elements of said turbo gear are rotated in opposite directions to each other.

9. In a turbo mechanicai transmission, the combination of a driving and a driven shaft arranged coairially, manually operable means for mechanically coupling said shafts when the said driven shaft has been brought up to speed, a turbo coupling connected to said shafts respectively, comprising a pump element, a turbine element and a rotatable deflector element, pressure operated means for maintaining stationary said rotatable deflector element during the bringing up to speed of said driven shaft, and means for reversing said driven shaft comprising a mechanical connection between said driving shaft and said driven shaft, and means for making said reversing connection effective simultaneously with the'release of said brake means thereby releasing the rotatable deflector 

